‘Akshay had warned me before Action Replayy’
Having completed 16 years in the Hindi film industry, film-maker Vipul Shah calls his run in Bollywood a “wonderful journey”. From directing and producing films to enjoying a tryst with small screen too, Vipul has tasted success with most of his projects. In a candid chat, he talks about working with biggies in the business, getting back to direction after eight years with Namaste England, his mantra to celebrate success and learning from his mistakes.
Looking back on your 16year long journey, how does it feel?
I started as a backstage boy in plays and moved on to directing plays. I also made a lot of regional TV shows and then TV show Ek Mehal Ho Sapno Ka happened. So, the journey has only given me better opportunities.
What was your biggest high?
One of the biggest achievements I feel, was when my first film [Aankhen] was considered for a Hollywood remake and Robert De Niro expressed an interest in playing Amitabh Bachchan’s part in the remake, though it never materialised. Then, to have films such as Namastey London, which established me in the space of love stories and Singh is Kinng that gave sikh people a caption for themselves, were all highs.
And what about working with such a variety of actors?
In my directorial debut, I got to work with Mr Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal — such fine actors. Then, I worked with Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn in London Dreams and Aishwarya Rai in Action Replayy. I’ve also been able to launch new talents like Aditya Roy Kapoor and Vidyut Jammwal. It’s been great.
Do you have any regrets?
I feel that I should have done Action Replayy differently though I never realised that it wouldn’t work. In hindsight, I think Akshay’s look didn’t go well with the audiences. He had warned me before getting into the look and said that this is too experimental for a mainstream film. But, I convinced him. So, when the team puts their faith in you, and it doesn’t work, that regret stays with you.
You’ve just wrapped up shooting for Namaste England. Why this eight year break from direction?
I wanted to reinvent myself and now, I feel I have matured as a director. Actually, whenever I look back at my films, I’m always disappointed and I only find mistakes. I feel, in Namaste England, with a little more experience, my mistakes will be fewer.